Pay increased at 3.8% a year in December quarter federal enterprise agreements, slightly lower than the previous quarter, according to DEEWR data that is likely to allay Reserve Bank concerns about a wages breakout. The data shows that a large number of retail agreements in the quarter moderated the average increase.
The MBA has called for the exclusion of portable state and territory long service leave schemes from any national system; recognition of construction industry annual leave arrangements for Christmas shutdowns; retention of the ten day personal leave cap; an exemption for small business from paying pregnant employees who can't be found a safe job; and for employees to be able to trade off the legislative standards during bargaining.
Former Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has told an MUA dinner to mark the 10-year anniversary of the 1998 waterfront dispute that Work Choices won last year's federal election for Labor rather than the party's broad strategies and policies. He also accused the Howard Government of waging class war against the labour movement, but maintained Labor took the high moral ground by not responding in kind.
Julian Burnside QC, the barrister who led all the way to the High Court the MUA's successful legal battle to reinstate the sacked Patrick Stevedores workforce in 1998, revealed tonight that but for his then impending second marriage, he would have been acting in the case for the National Farmers Federation.
The Rudd Government's National Employment Standards should give Fair Work Australia a dispute-settling role, expand family and carers' rights and guarantee public holiday pay rates, according to Griffith University's Professor David Peetz.
Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has today left the door open for the release of secret Howard Government planning documents relating to the 1998 waterfront dispute, after receiving a rousing welcome at the Maritime Union's national conference in Sydney.
Unions say the Rudd Government's proposed National Employment Standards should be redrafted to guarantee superior award and agreement conditions, apply to employees earning more than $100,000 and allow Fair Work Australia to settle disputes.
The Australian Industry Group is urging the Rudd Government to amend its draft National Employment Standards to boost their overall flexibility, narrow the scope of the "right to request" flexible working arrangements and scrap the fair work information statement, which it describes as further unnecessary red tape. The employer group also opposes the notion of creating an award to cover award-free workers.
NSW teachers endorse 24-hour stoppage; Police rally in Victoria; AIG, ACTU and Sex Discrimination Commissioner jointly call for paid maternity leave; Survey underscores growing eldercare burden for knowledge workers; and Migrant women workers call for better protections.
The coal mining union is lobbying the Rudd Government to introduce special legislation to maintain its "unique" long service leave scheme once the National Employment Standards take effect, and has already made representations to Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard, according to its submission on the NES.
